高温岩体発電技術の海外の現状(<特集>地熱利用技術の研究開発最前線)

概要

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The concept of Hot Dry Rock (HDR) geothermal energy development is originally brought by researchers of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in USA in early 1970. According to the idea of HDR, geothermal heat energy can be extracted in fields where geothermal development is considered to be impossible by conventional methods, and geothermal energy production is designed according to demand and only heat energy is extracted with low environmental impacts. After successful field experiments by LANL at Fenton Hill in New Mexico, USA, many projects have been conducted at many places in the world, particularly in Europe and Japan. The most basic technologies for HDR development were developed and confirmed to practical use throughout these HDR projects. Recently, the HDR technologies are practically applied to produce commercial electricity in Europe and Australia, for example, high temperature steam production at Cooper Basin, Australia and produced electricity by HDR connection to grid at Soultz-sous-Forets, France. The technologies developed for HDR are applicable not only for geothermal, but also for oil fields as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and for CO_2 underground storage. We hope that the HDR technologies developed so far will be used for energy development with low environmental burden.
2008-10-20